Lacing needle



P 6, 1952 E. c. HARRIS 2,610,777

LACING NEEDLE Filed June 1, 1949 INVENTOR.

Arrbn/vs Y Patented Sept. 16, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- 1" f I 'LAcIN'G NEEDLE Elizabeth C. Harris, Washington, D. C. ApplicatlonJune 1,194as r1a1 No. 96,461

My invention relates broadly to lacing needles,

and more particularly to an improved construc: tion of lacing needle for use in artcraft in the decoration or binding of sheetlike material.

One of the objects of my invention is to pro: vide an improved needle for feeding and threading tape through sheet material for ornamenting and binding the sheets, in, which convenient manual control is maintained over, the tape through all stages of the operation of the needle.

Still another object of my invention is to provide an improved construction of needle for artcraft operation in decorating and binding sheet material with a ribbon or tape, in which the needle operates conjointly as a tape feeding device, a tape gripping device, and an awl for vide a construction of flat metallic needle for artcraft operation in which a narrow'tape or ribbon may be gripped between flat coacting por tions of the needle where one of the coacting portions of the needle is ofiset with respect to the other coacting portion thereof, to provide an awl effect for spreading the parts of the slitted material through which the needle is inserted'to facilitate passage of the needle through the ma terial under manual control on both sides of the material.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a construction of lacing needle formed from flat metallic strip having two coacting portions, with one portion of the strip extending approximately three-fourths of the length of the other coacting strip and offset therefrom to provide an awl effect for spreading slitted sheet-like material through which the needle is passed, and terminating in a gripping edge for gripping the narrow tape or ribbon to be threaded by the needle through the slitted material, the longer coacting portion of, the needle extending beyond the shorter coacting portion thereof and serving as a manual grip for facilitating the controlled passage of the needle through the slitted material.

Another object of my invention, in contradistinction to present lacing needles, which insert the lacing into the sheet material at the point of greatest pressure, i. e., the top end of the needle, is to permit the insertion of the lacing nearer to the bottom end of the needle, prior to the time of greatest pressure, and to permit, by reason of the securing teeth in the said needle, placed approximately one-quarter below the top of the said needle, complete control over the lacing at the time of greatest pressure.

Other and further objects of my inventionreside in an improved lacing needle of flat strip; like construction, which does not require the cementing of the tape to the needle in the per formance of a threading operation, as set forth more fully in the specification hereinafter following by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the needle of my invention showing a strip member secured thereto; Fig. 2 is a. plan view of the needle with the strip insertedtherein; Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially on line 3 -3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially on line 4-4 of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view taken'substantially on line 55 of Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a pair of sheets prepared with slits therein for the passage of the lacing needle and the inserted'stripj Figs. '7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 show progressive steps in the process of passing the lacing needle of my invention through the slits in a pair of adjacent sheets and illustrating particularly the awl effect of the needle in spreading the slits forthe passage of the strip; and Fig. 12 is a fragmentary perspective view of the chisel-like terminus which may be provided on the lacing needle of my invention.

My invention is directed to an improved needle for artcraft operations particularly suitable in the lacing of leather tape through slitted leather sheets for the ornamentation or binding thereof, wherein the needle is formed from fiat, metallic, striplike material, with the entry ends thereof united or formed from a solid section. 'One coacting portion extends approximately threefourths of the length of the other coacting portion, and terminates in an inwardly directed serrated edge bearing against the flat surface of the longer coacting portion of theneedle, and serving to grip the narrow tape or ribbon which is fed along the longer coacting portion of the needle and under the gripping serrated edge of the shorter coacting portion of the needle. The shorter coacting portion of the needle is provided with an offset humptherein, directed away from the surface of the longer coacting portion of the needle in a position intermediate the junction of the coacting portions of the needle and the serrated end of the shorter coacting portion of the needle. This offset portion constitutes an expanded section for the needle intermediate the ends thereof, andserves as an awl for spreading the slitted partsof the material through which the needleis passed to facilitate entry of the flat tape or ribbon through the slitted material. The

tion of the needle of my invention over lacingneedles heretofore available in the art.

Referring to the drawings in detail, reference character I designates the metallic strip forming the lacing needle having a rounded terminus 2 and a flat portion 3 at the opposite end thereof. Metallic strip I is longitudinally split throughout a portion of its length commencing at the position indicated at 4 by which the metallic strip I is bifurcated and divided into two portions,- that is, the flat longitudinally extending portion 3 and the offset portion represented at 5. Theoifset portion 5 is provided with an outwardly bowed portion 6 which is offset from the plane of the flat longitudinally extending portion 3 for a distance equal to substantially twice the thickness of the needle I, thereby providing an awl effect as the needle I is passed through slits in sheet material being operated upon by the needle. The outwardly bowed portion 6 then tapers inwardly, as represented at I, toward the plane of the longitudinally extending portion 3 and is abruptly bent inwardly at its terminus toward the longitudinally extending strip 3 as representedat 8. The abruptly bent terminus 8 has a serrated edge constituted by a multiplicity of piercing teeth 9.

When inserting a tape or strip I into the needle the outwardly bowed portion is grasped and moved outwardly from the flat longitudinally extending portion 3, thereby separating the serrated terminus 8 of the needle from the longitudinally extending portion 3 so that the piercing teeth 9 are displaced away from the surface of the flat longitudinally extending portion 3. The strip or tape II! may then be moved between the bifurcated parts of the needle to a position abutting the interior face of the offset portion represented at 5 and in a position displaced from the junction 4 of the bifurcated parts of the needle. When thus inserted, the offset portion 5 of the needle, which is resilient and which has a constant tendency to yieldably clamp the end of the tape or strip, operates to move the piercing teeth 9 into a position in which the teeth 9 grip the tape or strip and prevent the tape or strip from slipping out of the needle. The outwardly bowed portion 6 serves as an awl to spread the slitted sheet material which I have represented in Fig. 6, comprising a pair of superimposed sheets II and I2.

The superimposed sheets I I and I2 are provided with a row of slits represented at I4 through which the needle of 'my invention, with the tape or strip secured therein, is adapted to be laced.

In Figs. 7-8 I have shown the, progress steps involved in performing alacing operation. In Fig. '7 the needle with the strip or tape I0 secured therein is about to enter the aligned slits I4 in the sheets I I and I2.

In Fig. 8 I have shown the needle advanced to a position in which the offset portion 5 commences to engagethe interior edges of the slits I4 for producing this, awl effect inspreading the slits I4.

In Fig. 9 I have shown the outwardly bowed portion 6 of the offset portion 5 of the needle Just after it has passed through the slits I 4 producing a spreading action for widening the slits to readily enable the strip or tape III to pass therethrough. In both of the operations shown in Figs. 8 and 9 the flat longitudinally extending surface 3 serves as a bearing surface against which the strip or tape II! may be conveniently grasped between the fingers of the operator.

In Fig. 10 I have illustrated the slit I4 properly spread for the passage of the strip or tape I0 and the, needle being drawn through the material I II 2 by grasping the fiat end of the needle.

In Fig. 11 I have illustrated the strip or tape III being drawn through the widened portion I4 of the material II and I2 by pulling upon the needle I, the slits I4 having been sufllciently spread or enlarged to facilitate the passage of the strip or tape II).

In lieu of therounded terminus on the needle l I may provide a knife, or chisel-like edge as represented at I5 in Fig. 12.

One of the most important conditions governing the construction of theneedle of my invention is the proportion of parts of the needle where the length of the offset 5. terminates at 8 in aposition on the longitudinally extending portion 3 of the needle which is approximately three-quarters of the length of the entire needle, That is. the terminus of, the offsetportion 5 represented at 8 is approximately one-quarter of the length of the needle from the end 3 of the needle. I have represented these proportions in Fig. 1 where the terminus 8 of the offset portion 5 of the needleis represented as located at a. distance which is 75% of the length of the needle as compared to the entire length of the needle representedas By reason of these proportions the maximum lacing pressure may be applied in guiding the lacing needle through the material because the strip or tape is gripped at the position 8 intermediate the length of the needle and a sub stantial bearing surface is provided for gripping opposite ends of the needle according to whether the needle is being pushed through the material as represented in Figs. 8 and 9, or being pulled through the material as represented hrFigs. 10 and 11.

The provision of the awl eifect in combination with the tape feeding operation has been found to be practical and successful in operation. While I have described my invention in one of its preferred embodiments I realize that modifications might be madeand I desire it to be understood that no limitations are intended upon my invention other than may be imposed by the scopeof the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is as follows:

1. A composite awl and lacing needle comprising a fiat strip of substantially rectangular section slit at one end along its axis to a point remote from the other end providing a pair of rectangular strip members, with one of said strip members extending substantially beyond the end of the other of said stri members, they shorter of said strip members being bent at an angle laterally away from the other of said strip members to a hump portion and being bent from said hump portion toward the longer strip member and terminating in a tape engaging end whereby a tape'inserted between saidbifurcated portions of the strip may have the terminus there of abutted ragainst the inner junction ,of the I blfurcated portions of said strip and clamped between the said bifurcated portions or said tape engaging end, the hump portion formed by the bent parts of the shorter of said strip members being offset from the plane of the longer of said strip members to form an awl for spreading slitted material through which the lacing needle is passed, and the longer strip member providing a fiat tape guide and a finger grip for manipulating the awl and needle by the fingers for a substantial distance beyond said tape engaging end of the shorter of said strip members.

2. A combination awl and lacing needle comprising a flat strip of substantially rectangular section slit at one end along its axis to a point remote from one end providing a pair of strip members of rectangular section having unequal lengths, the shorter strip member including a pair of inclined faces meeting at a hump extending transversely of said last mentioned strip member and intermediate the junction of the strip members and the end of said shorter strip member operating as an awl for spreading slitted material through which the needle is passed for lacing a tape gripped by said strip members therethrough, the longer of said strip members providing a guiding surface for the lacing tape and a finger grip for manipulating the awl and needle beyond the end of the shorter strip member.

3. A combination awl and lacing needle comprising a flat strip of substantially rectangular section terminating in a threading end and slit at the other end along its axis to a point remote from the threading end providing two coacting rectangular strip members having unequal lengths, with one of said strip members bowed outwardly to form an awl for facilitating the threading of the lacing needle through a slit and having a terminus directed toward the fiat plane surface of the other of said strip members with teeth thereon for gripping a flat lacing strip between said strip members, the shorter of said strip members having a length approximately three-quarters of the total length of the lacing needle, and providing a flat linearly extending engaging surface and a linearly extending fingerengaging and lacing strip-guiding portion on the longer of said strip members extending approximately one-fourth the entire length of the needle.

ELIZABETH C. HARRIS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Re. 16,926 Lippard Apr. 10, 1928 237,908 Royer Feb. 15,1881 245,928 Anderson et a1. Aug. 23, 188.1 1,351,418 Ellsworth Aug. 31, 1920 1,583,444 Coe May 4, 1926 

